Bung



June 12, 1934. E. A. RASBRIDGE BUN G Filed July 5, 1933 Z O Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to bungs for beer kegs and like beverages and has for its principal object to provide a device of this character having an inner end capable of being knocked off upon the application of the siphoning tube or other device for withdrawing the contents of the keg.

One of the important objects of the inventtion is to provide a bung of this character having a recess for receiving the tapping apparatus, the walls of the bung being firmly held against the bung opening to prevent splitting of the bung during insertion of the siphoning tube.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special details of the construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a keg with parts in elevation, showing the tapping apparatus in position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a similar view after removal of the extremity of the bung; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view.

Referring to the drawing in detail the numeral 1 designates the bung generally which is fitted in a metallic bushing 2 of a type generally used in the bung opening of a keg 3.

The bung is provided with a recess 4 which tapers inwardly to receive the tapered end 5 of the beer tap 6, which is of any suitable construction and of a type generally employed for tapping beer kegs.

The inner end of the bung is reduced as shown at 7 and a portion of the walls of this reduced portion intermediate its "end is tapered as shown at 8 to provide a further reduced extremity 9. The recess formed in the bung extends to a point adjacent the reduced extremity 9 so that the walls of the extension are thinnest at this point.

Accordingly after the bung has been inserted in the opening of the keg the tapered end of the tap is inserted in the recess until the inner end of the tap rests against the base of the recess. The siphoning rod or tube 10 is then fed through the tap and upon striking the base of the recess will knock oil the relatively thin extremity 9 whereupon the rod is then free to enter the keg for withdrawing the contents.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that since the tap is first inserted in the recess before the rod knocks off the extremity of the bung, and by reason of the tight tapering fit within the recess, the tap serves to hold the bung tightly within the bushing and thus prevents splitting of the bung when the knocking oif action occurs. Danger of injury to the bung during the tapping operation is thus avoided. The reduced construction further prevents injury to the knock-off portion during fitting of the hung in the keg.

I claim:

1. A wooden bung of substantially cup-shaped formation and including an inner wall section and an outer wall section, said inner section having a base connected thereto by a relatively thin Wall to. facilitate the knocking off of the base upon contact by a tapping device when the latter is inserted in the bung, the exterior surface ofthe bung being stepped at the junction of said sections to materially increase the thickness of the wall of the outer section whereby to prevent splitting of said outer section during the knocking off of the base.

2. A bung of substantially cup-shaped formation having its exterior surface stepped to define an outer section, an intermediate section and a base, the step separating the base from the intermediate section being beveled and with the reduced portion of the bevel being on a plane with the bottom of the chamber of the bung to facilitate knocking oil of the base upon contact by a tapping device when inserted in the bung.

3. A bung of substantially cup-shaped formation having its interior surface plane and tapering to provide a liquid-tight fit for a tapping device when inserted therein, the exterior surface of the bung being stepped to provide an outer wall section, an intermediate wall section and a base, said intermediate section, being relatively thin and of a diameter greater than the base, the surface of the bung at the junction of the base and the intermediate section being beveled to further reduce the thickness of the wall immediately adjacent the base to facilitate the knocking off of the base upon contact by a siphoning rod carried by the tapping device, and the junction of the outer and intermediate sections being defined by an abrupt shoulder to materially increase the thickness of the former whereby to prevent splitting of the bung above said shoulder during the knocking oil of the base.

EDWARD A. RASBRIDGE. 

